Lebanon, UN appeal for $371 million in urgent humanitarian aid

Lebanon and the UN launched an urgent funding appeal Tuesday for $371.4 million to provide humanitarian assistance in the next three months to civilians affected by the recent war and the country's humanitarian crisis.

The UN and the Lebanese government announced an extension of the emergency appeal, which covers the needs of Lebanese citizens, Syrian and Palestinian refugees and migrants residing in Lebanon.

The extension will cover from Jan. 25 to March 2025 and builds on the initial appeal launched in October to raise $426 million, according to the UN.​​​​​​​

The requested funds will support food aid, winter supplies, emergency repairs, civilian protection and critical gaps in health care, water and education infrastructure, it said.

Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister Saadeh Al-Shami, speaking from the Grand Serail in Beirut, emphasized the focus on “addressing immediate humanitarian needs in coordination with recovery planning efforts following the Israeli war.”

“The scale and scope of the crisis surpass available resources, making international support essential to sustain and expand response efforts,” he added.

UN humanitarian coordinator in Lebanon, Imran Riza, stressed the urgency of additional funding, noting its dual purpose: “To save lives and prevent further deterioration of an already dire situation.”

Riza highlighted that more than 125,000 people remain displaced, with hundreds of thousands facing significant challenges in rebuilding their lives.

A fragile cease-fire has been in place since Nov. 27, ending a series of mutual attacks between Israel and Hezbollah that began Oct. 8, 2023, and escalated into a full-scale war on Sept. 23.

The agreement's key provisions include Israel's gradual withdrawal to south of the Blue Line, a de facto border, within 60 days, and the deployment of the Lebanese army and security forces along the border, crossings and southern regions.

Data from the Lebanese Health Ministry indicates that since Israel's onslaught against Lebanon began in October 2023, at least 4,063 people have been killed, including women, children and health workers, while 16,664 have been injured.